35 students to camp in Tihar to help with prisoners' reformation

In an initiative to work on the reformation of the Tihar Jail, 35 students are all set to spend four days in Tihar as a part of their social education course. These students are accompanied by four faculty members and will be put up in the camps set by the jail authorities.

Director General Prisons Sudhir Yadav has given special permission for this new initiative that commenced from Monday. The ultimate objective of this camp is to find out new avenues of reformation, rehabilitation, and reintegration of inmates with the society.

According to the authorities, they feel that it was important to map the needs of inmates, understand and analyse the already existing reformative services. Also, a framework for reintegration services with the inmates needs to be developed, they believed. Inmates have to go back to their own family and social environment which demands challenges in their adjustment as they suffer from the stigma of being in the jail.

The students have come to fulfill two have expectations: Firstly, the one which the jail demands from these young social workers and the resource persons. Secondly, these students are expected to learn a lot when they go back.

The first part is the intervention in which students along with resource persons in the jail premises will work on. These include imparting soft skills training to the jail staff, especially jail warders so that they can communicate better with inmates as well as outsiders. To conduct a need based assessment of inmates and identify their individual, social, psychological and collective needs in the prison.

Tihar also aims to identify the vulnerable and excluded groups in the jail and offer ideas for their reformation and inclusion with other inmates and gaining an insight into criminal justice system in India and compare it with international standards. "Tihar prison administration has made all necessary arrangements for their boarding and lodging in the prison complex. The students and faculty members will also be provided availability of conference hall for meeting purposes and a team of Tihar Volunteers to assist," said DG Prisons Sudhir Yadav.